Pseudotsuga macrocarpa

Bigcone douglas-fir, bigcone spruce, Bigcone Spruce

Family: Pinaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Bigcone douglas-fir is a California native tree found in the southern Sierra Madre Mountains, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges on fire-resistant slopes in mixed-evergreen forest at elevations of 200 to 2,400 meters. Although no flowering time is specified, this distinctive conifer features a trunk up to 44 meters tall and less than 2.1 meters wide with a strong taper and a mature crown that is rounded to flat. Growing with numerous large lower branches, it develops a robust and expansive form that can dominate its forest environment. Its needles measure 2 to 4.5 centimeters in length, creating a dense green canopy characteristic of douglas-fir trees. The seed cones are notable for their persistence, remaining on the tree for several years and distinguished by a central tooth or lobe that partially protrudes from the cone structure.

Habitat: Scattered on fire-resistant slopes, mixed-evergreen forest

Elevation: 200-2400 m

Bioregions: s SCoRO (Sierra Madre Mtns), TR, PR.

California counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Kern, Orange, Ventura, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Monterey

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.